White Chocolate Citrus Truffles

By
Elizabeth LaBau
Sweet Book of Candy Making Elizabeth LaBau
Elizabeth LaBau
A professional pastry chef, cookbook author, and writer, Elizabeth LaBau has published more than 600 articles on baking and candy making.
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Updated on 12/20/22
White Chocolate Citrus Truffles

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 45 mins
Servings: 32 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
158 Calories
10g Fat
16g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 32
Amount per serving
Calories 158
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g 13%
Saturated Fat 6g 31%
Cholesterol 12mg 4%
Sodium 24mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 16g 6%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Protein 2g
Calcium 54mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Normally, I would advise you to use the best-quality chocolate you can find for truffles. However, this recipe is a little finicky, and does not set up well if the white chocolate has too much cocoa butter. So instead of using couverture white chocolate for the truffles (which contains a large amount of cocoa butter), use white chocolate chips. Also note that these candies, like most truffles, have several extensive chilling periods, so make sure you leave enough time when making them.

These truffles are lovely when topped with candied citrus peel. You can use store bought or make your own.

Ingredients

  • 1 lemon (for zest)
  • 1 orange (for zest)
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 12 ounces white chocolate chips
  • 1/3 cup powdered sugar (for dusting)
  • 1 pound chopped white chocolate (for dipping)
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening (optional)
  • Garnish: slivers of candied orange or lemon peel

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    White Chocolate Citrus Truffles ingredients

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Place the white chocolate in a large bowl.

    prepared baking sheet, white chocolate in a bowl

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Place the cream and citrus zests in a small saucepan and simmer until bubbles appear around the sides of the pan.

    cream and citrus zest in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Remove from the heat and cover. Let the cream sit for 30 minutes to infuse and absorb the citrus aromas.

    cream mixture in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler.

    melted white chocolate in a bowl

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  6. Return the cream to the heat briefly to warm it, then pour it through a strainer over the white chocolate. Stir gently to combine.

    cream and white chocolate mixture in a bowl, citrus zest in a strainer

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  7. Cover the ganache with cling wrap and allow to cool to room temperature. Once it has cooled, place the bowl in the refrigerator to firm up, for 4 hours or overnight.

    ganache in a bowl, covered with plastic wrap

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  8. Once firm enough to shape, spoon 1-inch balls of ganache onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat for remaining ganache and place the tray of truffles in the freezer to set for 2 hours.

    white chocolate ganache on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  9. Dust your hands with powdered sugar, then roll the scooped truffles into round shapes. Return to the freezer for another 2 hours to make them firm enough to dip in melted chocolate.

    white chocolate ganache balls on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  10. Temper the white chocolate, or alternately, melt the chocolate with 1 tablespoon of vegetable shortening. Dip the firm centers in the melted chocolate using dipping tools or two forks. Wipe the excess chocolate on the rim of the bowl, and place the dipped truffle back on the baking sheet.

    white chocolate ganache balls dipped into white chocolate, on a baking sheets

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  11. While chocolate is still wet, garnish with slivers of candied lemon or orange peel.

    White Chocolate Citrus Truffles on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck